From Burnout to Balance: Assessing Risk of Psychological Harm on the Job

Michael, a new public health nurse, is eager to contribute to his community. Highly motivated and driven by a passion for preventing emerging public health issues, he feels confident he can navigate the challenges of his new role.

Fast forward five years, and Michael is grappling with the realities of his position. The emotional, psychological, cognitive, and physical demands of his job have become overwhelming. Last year, he took a three-month leave due to burnout and is determined not to go on leave again. However, discussions with his colleagues reveal that they are all experiencing similar pressures. More senior public health workers are opting for early retirement, struggling to manage the ongoing stress. Unfortunately, Michael’s experience isn’t unique to public health. It’s a reality faced by many professionals across municipalities and government agencies in Canada.

Canada’s Current State

In Canada, several programs and tools have been developed to evaluate organizational psychological well-being. Many of these are informed by the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace, which provides voluntary guidelines to cultivate a healthy and psychologically safe work environment and help to target allocation of resources and investments.

Despite these advancements, a gap remains. While these tools and programs provide valuable insights into organizational culture, stress, program development and job satisfaction, they often overlook a critical component: risk of psychological harm on the job. This is where a focused approach to assessing job-based risk of psychological harm becomes essential.

Assessing Job-Based Risk of Psychological Harm

The same risk assessment techniques used for assessing traditional health and safety hazards can be applied to job-specific psychosocial factors as well. First, organizations need to identify jobs that exhibit signs of reduced well-being among workers. Consider factors such as absenteeism, turnover rates, and responses from job satisfaction surveys and questionnaires in the process. Once specific jobs have been identified, an occupational psychological risk assessment should be conducted.

During the assessment, a collaborative and participatory approach should be used, involving both leaders and workers familiar with the job. Together, participants can review the contributing job factors for psychological harm. For instance, they should consider the likelihood and impact of workload, cognitive demands, and coworker support (among other factors) on the psychological well-being of workers performing the job. This evaluation will help determine the risk level associated with each job factor and prioritize which psychosocial factors need urgent attention.

Once the risk level for a job factor has been determined, appropriate measures can be implemented to address these risks. Participants will collaboratively brainstorm solutions to tackle each job factor effectively, aiming to reduce the risk of psychological harm.

To assist workplaces in this process, PSHSA has developed a freely accessible tool called Radius. This web-based application addresses gaps in hazard recognition and control left by other organizational-level psychosocial assessments. The tool has been designed to include 18 job-specific factors and corresponding solutions both rooted in evidence and extensive research.

By assessing risk of psychological harm, workplaces can:

• Collaboratively identify tangible, actionable solutions to enhance worker wellbeing.
• Create awareness of job-specific psychological hazards and risk.
• Support job-orientation, onboarding practices and other strategic initiatives.
• Promote and foster vertical trust and job satisfaction.

Organizational Readiness: Is Your Municipality Prepared?

As municipalities consider tackling psychological health and safety, it’s crucial to assess organizational readiness. This includes evaluating existing mental health initiatives, identifying key stakeholders who will participate in the assessment process, and ensuring that there is a commitment to act on the findings.

To ensure a smooth and effective integration of the tool into your workplace safety practices, here are a few tasks to consider:

Identify Key Stakeholders: Engage a diverse group of stakeholders, including workers, supervisors, human resources and wellness professionals, and health and safety representatives to lead the charge.

Evaluate Existing Mental Health Initiatives: Review current mental health programs and resources available within your organization. Identify any gaps in addressing psychological risks at the job level.

Conduct a Pilot Assessment: Start small and assess a familiar job. Use the pilot to gather feedback and refine the process before a broader rollout.

Develop a Communication Plan: Educate employees about the purpose of the assessment, how it works, and its benefits. Transparent communication builds trust and encourages participation.

Commit to Action: Ensure that leadership is committed to acting on the findings from assessments. Allocate resources, set timelines, and regularly review progress to address identified psychological risks.

Don’t let fear or uncertainty prevent your municipality from taking this important step. The mental health of your workforce is paramount, and by addressing job-based psychological risks, you can create a safer, healthier, and more supportive work environment.

Contact PSHSA for more information at radius@pshsa.ca

Written by: Madi Stratis, PSHSA Workplace Wellbeing Consultant and Ricardo Romero, PSHSA Health and Safety Consultant